Proposal would end annual vehicle inspections

You must enter the characters with black color that stand out from the other characters

A group of lawmakers want to eliminate yearly safety inspections on vehicles.

A bill that’ll be introduced Monday in the Senate would do away with safety inspections, but still require checks on emissions.

If approved, the measure would save drivers about $15 a year. The downside is that it would take out millions of dollars from the state’s Highway and EMS funds that currently get money from safety inspections.

jimmysmallwoodMar 2, 2011

another point on the dumb vehicle safety inspections.... even if you were to get your vehicle inspected today, who's to say that the very next day one of your headlamps burns out or a tail lamp burns out, what good is the yearly inspection at that point? what, are you going to drive around a whole year with a headlight burned out until your next inspection is due? the inspection is only good for that very moment that it is being inspected. it's a rip off and we are being forced to shell out cash for it.

besides, i believe i heard that the inspection station gets most of the fee that is paid for the inspection and they don't have to charge as much as they do. something like $23.50 or something like that? and.... they get an extra $10 bucks if your vehicle has tinted windows? and we are still getting charged $6.25 for a "sticker fee" even though n.c. no longer has an actual sticker on your windshield like back on the old days. come on people of north carolina!!! this is highway robbery!

DontLikeTheSocialistObamaMar 2, 2011

The annual inspection is nothing but a subsidy for the automotive repair business in North Carolina.

jimmysmallwoodMar 1, 2011

why should brand new vehicles that are at least 1 to 3 years old need a mandatory vehicle inspection? there are far too many older vehicles on the road that are in worse shape and there are some that have smoke pouring out of the exhaust pipe that makes you wonder how it passed an inspection in the first place?

skeeter IIMar 1, 2011

The Safety Inspections may go the way of the written DMV driver's test that you had to pass to renew your drivers license. Back then, most people went by and picked up a booklet and relearned the laws and rules of North Carolina. Many drivers do not know many of the current laws and rules -- such as "against the law to cut through a corner lot to avoid a stop sign or stop light". This decision was to "cut costs of DMV" by reducing the number of examiners, printing, and other costs.

Wonder how many vehicles fail the safety test (not the emissions test) and must be repaired so the vehicle would pass the test?

Wonder if the reason for continuing the emissions test is to continue to receive certain federal funds?

Part of the problem is that city police and sheriff departments can not put enough effort into stopping vehicles with visible faulty equipment, such as tail lights, head lights, missing betc. Problem of not enough police or sheriff's deputies to enforce traffic laws.

AlbertEinsteinMar 1, 2011

The issue here is that the penalties for "safety" violations (for example, dangerously tinted windows) are not adequate to ensure compliance. I would strongly recommend that these inspections be replaced with higher penalties (much higher), then take this monies and put forth to the EMS and Highway funds. This way, the violators pay, not the compliant.

luv to campFeb 28, 2011

This is completely stupid. There are enough NC tagged vehicles with taillights/3rd brake lights, etc that don't work which the "safety inspection" is supposed to prevent. Now it'll just get worse. Oh yeah, lets also take away money from the EMS; maybe they can combine patients in the ambulances to save gas.